IN OTHER WORDS - A sampling of opinions

In Other Words

A sampling of opinions

March 15, 2007|By Kristin Samuelson compiled In Other Words

Pace's misspeak

There is a big difference between adultery and homosexuality. When someone cheats on their spouse, it involves breaking their vow and deceiving their partner. Being gay or lesbian involves no such misconduct. Therefore, the only basis for [Gen. Peter] Pace to refer to such relationships as "immoral" has to be that they violate the piety code of his religion. Pace certainly has a right to his opinion and to voice that opinion, as a private individual. However, when he injects his religion's beliefs into his policy statements as chairman of the Joint Chiefs, he violates the establishment clause in the 1st Amendment and should face military discipline for so doing.

TomCat, Politicsplus.blogspot.com

Do tell, don't fight

I suggest that the 65,000 members of the military who are gay take Gen. Pace at his word, and tell, because we wouldn't want to have any immorality in our armed services, right? Heck, let's have everybody who isn't totally moral speak up.

Let's see how far that surge goes when the military is depleted of all those immoral gays, who are fighting and dying for us right now. Let's see how prepared our armed forces are for any actions, whether Iraq or anywhere else, if we rid our services of all immorality.

Heaven forfend that a gay person should protect us, right?

XYZ, Dailykos.com

Show him the money

Every year, two or three players go nuts about being franchised. This year it's [Bears linebacker Lance] Briggs. It's like I say every year when this happens: If players are mad about the franchise tag (and Briggs is, because he sees stiffs like Leonard Davis getting huge signing bonuses when he gets zero to sign and a salary of $7.2 million), then he should get active in the union and try to repeal it. Or he should take the six-year, $33 million deal he was offered by the Bears, with lots more guaranteed money, and just deal with it.

This system isn't perfect. It still pays the high first-round picks a stupid, insulting amount of money. And when owners have money to spend under the cap, they're sure to make lesser players way too rich. But the system, in general, has been a good one for players and owners over the past 14 years.

This is obviously a huge win for Pepsi. Demand for non-carbonated beverages is rising at a much faster pace than soda. It's the latest front in the cola wars. This will certainly help Pepsi over the long term.

Investors, though, continue to bet on Coke. Its shares have jumped 12 percent this year compared with 5 percent for Pepsi.